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Warriors: The Broken Code #2
The Silent Thaw
When the ThunderClan leader, Bramblestar, starts to behave oddly after losing one of his nine lives, suspicion quickly spreads across Clan borders. And after a strange apparition causes unrest in SkyClan and ShadowClan, each warrior must decide where their allegiances lie—with their Clan, or the warrior code itself.
320 pages, ebook
First published October 29, 2019
About the author
Erin Hunter
291 books9,794 followersErin Hunter is the pseudonym of five people: Kate Cary, Cherith Baldry, Tui T. Sutherland, Gillian Philip, and Inbali Iserles, as well as editor Victoria Holmes. Together, they write the Warriors series as well as the Seekers and Survivors series. Erin Hunter is working on a new series now called Bravelands.
Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having a great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior, shaped by her interest in astronomy and standing stones.
Erin Hunter is inspired by a love of cats and a fascination with the ferocity of the natural world. As well as having a great respect for nature in all its forms, Erin enjoys creating rich mythical explanations for animal behavior, shaped by her interest in astronomy and standing stones.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 213 reviews
November 3, 2019
I read these books lickity split. I love warrior cats. This new series is so much darker than the others so far. AVOS definitely started down that path and now it's no holds on who they start killing off. I highly suggest this to anyone who thinks kids books are just fluff. Starting off with AVOS and onward you get the main points (although I highly recommend all of the series). Can't wait for more as usual.
January 31, 2022
Rating: 9 out of 10
This book was amazingly good! It started very fast and didn't slow down. It was a thrilling, page-turner experience from start to finish, and I enjoyed every bit of it.
The plot was what really sold this second installment of the series for me. I really like how strategic Bramblestar's imposter was and not knowing what he would do added a lot of tension to the story. I also enjoyed how the book asked important questions about StarClan and the warrior code which hadn't been touched before.
I consider the characters to be one of the most important parts of a book for me to like it, and this one didn't disappoint. I actually started to like Bristlefrost and care about her, and like I said in my review of Lost Stars, I find her to be pretty relatable for overachievers and people who did well in school in general. About Shadowsight, I thought his struggle with actually not being StarClan's chosen one but only a young fool makes the reader feel sympathy for him, and I believe it sends a good message on accepting your mistakes and being honest. Also, I absolutely loved Rootpaw throughout this entire book, he was really lovely and adorable and I felt it for him (he was even hilarious in some parts which I think is great).
Another thing I appreciated was that we got to see more of some side characters like Tigerstar, Dovewing, Squirrelflight and Tree. I loved Tigerstar's and Tree's interactions with their respective sons, they showed they truly cared about their families and wanted to protect them (despite acting in a completely different way about it). Both Squirrelflight and Dovewing demonstrated their bravery and made me like them (especially Dovewing, who I kind of hated during OotS) a lot more.
In conclusion, this was an amazing book. I didn't only have a great plot and well-written characters, but also a mystery element which made it impossible to put down. The Silent Thaw leaves questions while it does answer some, giving the reader just the right amount of information, which makes it a perfect sequel with a huge potential for books to come.
PS: That horrible cliffhanger, though! It made me want to read the third book right after finishing this one. I can't believe I'll have to wait for it but I have the feeling it will be worth the time!
This book was amazingly good! It started very fast and didn't slow down. It was a thrilling, page-turner experience from start to finish, and I enjoyed every bit of it.
The plot was what really sold this second installment of the series for me. I really like how strategic Bramblestar's imposter was and not knowing what he would do added a lot of tension to the story. I also enjoyed how the book asked important questions about StarClan and the warrior code which hadn't been touched before.
I consider the characters to be one of the most important parts of a book for me to like it, and this one didn't disappoint. I actually started to like Bristlefrost and care about her, and like I said in my review of Lost Stars, I find her to be pretty relatable for overachievers and people who did well in school in general. About Shadowsight, I thought his struggle with actually not being StarClan's chosen one but only a young fool makes the reader feel sympathy for him, and I believe it sends a good message on accepting your mistakes and being honest. Also, I absolutely loved Rootpaw throughout this entire book, he was really lovely and adorable and I felt it for him (he was even hilarious in some parts which I think is great).
Another thing I appreciated was that we got to see more of some side characters like Tigerstar, Dovewing, Squirrelflight and Tree. I loved Tigerstar's and Tree's interactions with their respective sons, they showed they truly cared about their families and wanted to protect them (despite acting in a completely different way about it). Both Squirrelflight and Dovewing demonstrated their bravery and made me like them (especially Dovewing, who I kind of hated during OotS) a lot more.
In conclusion, this was an amazing book. I didn't only have a great plot and well-written characters, but also a mystery element which made it impossible to put down. The Silent Thaw leaves questions while it does answer some, giving the reader just the right amount of information, which makes it a perfect sequel with a huge potential for books to come.
PS: That horrible cliffhanger, though! It made me want to read the third book right after finishing this one. I can't believe I'll have to wait for it but I have the feeling it will be worth the time!
October 26, 2019
Unlike most Warrior’s books this one doesn’t start off slow. I wouldn’t take this as a criticism since it really starts the first few chapters off strong. One third ways thew the book the conflict is really building, and it can seem slow at times especially about 2/5ths and 4/5th threw the book. Though if you are a Warrior’s fan and read the first Broken Code book (as well see other series) i’m positive you will enjoy this as it is much better than a lot other books that are lacking in many areas that this ark has covered so far. These dang battle cats have so much going on throughout the book and the end and beginning both bring so much to offer to the plot. Please take the time to sit down and read this book honestly absolutely love it; and though it is lacking in very small areas I still would rate it five stars I enjoyed it very much.
November 13, 2019
I love Dovewing
June 25, 2020
I’ve been reading Warriors for about a decade now (wow, that makes me feel old). I’m seventeen now. These books have always been a constant in my life. But maybe I’ve grown past them. Or maybe they simply are not as they used to be.
This book could have easily been shorter. It was filler to the max. Very repetitive and dull. I suspect that it and the third could be mashed together.
The characters are all lifeless it feels like. The plots have been done before. There is no spark in this series anymore.
The Warriors series should have ended a long time ago. This series will be my last, because it breaks my heart to see this series fall so low.
This book could have easily been shorter. It was filler to the max. Very repetitive and dull. I suspect that it and the third could be mashed together.
The characters are all lifeless it feels like. The plots have been done before. There is no spark in this series anymore.
The Warriors series should have ended a long time ago. This series will be my last, because it breaks my heart to see this series fall so low.
March 31, 2020
3'5
I love the narrative and the plot, and as always, all thw cats ♡, but I think there are moments in which it becomes repetitive, as if the story doesn't move forward. In this case, how Bramblestar is an impostor and how many times the thought is brought forth time and time again instead of presenting it and moving on, even if there are different clans and cats that have to be convinced, but sometimes it feels like a snake chasing its tail.
It's sth that happens in different degrees in various books by the Erin Hunter team, and I think they do that so the story can span up to its regular 6 books per story.
I love the narrative and the plot, and as always, all thw cats ♡, but I think there are moments in which it becomes repetitive, as if the story doesn't move forward. In this case, how Bramblestar is an impostor and how many times the thought is brought forth time and time again instead of presenting it and moving on, even if there are different clans and cats that have to be convinced, but sometimes it feels like a snake chasing its tail.
It's sth that happens in different degrees in various books by the Erin Hunter team, and I think they do that so the story can span up to its regular 6 books per story.
January 5, 2020
I never take more than a day or two to read a book in this series, and this newest release was no exception! I have LOVED the warriors series ever since I started “Into the Wild” in elementary school and, even at the age of 22, I am still in love. This book was absolutely amazing and deserving of all the stars (definitely a 5 star read and more if I could give it!). The twists and turns and mystery and frustration... especially for a book written towards a younger crowd, it’s so impressive and captivating! I love it all, and I can’t wait for the next in the series!
Read
July 2, 2019i need to read it and thought this was an ebook don't know what to do
September 16, 2021
I love dis series a lot.
I feel like The three main characters of this arc sort of represent what children are like today.
Also, I find the whole “clans-think-Rootpaw-has-a-crush-on-Bristlefrost-but-really-Rootpaw-and-Bristlepaw-just-use-this-to-their-advantage” is hilarious. It makes the arc a whole lot better. But if they become mates at some point I am going to rage. I’m serious.
(The rest of this review is basically just me sharing a bunch of theories on who the impostor is)
SPOILERS. Just one actually, but it’s a pretty important one. However, this review might make more sense if you read it after reading the book. So you should probably go do that first. Also the comments for this review also contain spoilers.
I sort of get the feeling that the impostor is Sol. I mean, he never liked the clans and he must of died at some point. And it sort of makes sense because Sol is very smart and cunning. And also because he might have targeted Bramblestar because he knows Thunderclan the best out of all the clans, so it would have been easier to remember the other people. He also knows about Starclan because of Midnight
It might also be Darktail since he is also very smart and cunning, was confirmed to have died, and he knows who Twigbranch is while I’m pretty sure Sol does not. I don’t know if he knows about Starclan though...
I do agree it also could be Ashfur since it would explain why the impostor was staying so close to Squirrelflight and his anger towards Jayfeather and Lionblaze.
What if it’s One-eye... ok never mind. But it could be...
Maybe some Starclan cat was doing this to teach the clans a lesson... but that’s most likely not it.
I has a feeling that maybe the ghost of either Sol or Darktail maybe collaborated with the Dark Forest to pull this off. It would explain how Sol/Darktail know everybody else’s names. And maybe the impostor has spies from the dark forest following some of the cats he finds suspicious and that’s how he sometimes knows about things Bristlefrost never told him.
Thanks for reading!
I feel like The three main characters of this arc sort of represent what children are like today.
Also, I find the whole “clans-think-Rootpaw-has-a-crush-on-Bristlefrost-but-really-Rootpaw-and-Bristlepaw-just-use-this-to-their-advantage” is hilarious. It makes the arc a whole lot better. But if they become mates at some point I am going to rage. I’m serious.
(The rest of this review is basically just me sharing a bunch of theories on who the impostor is)
SPOILERS. Just one actually, but it’s a pretty important one. However, this review might make more sense if you read it after reading the book. So you should probably go do that first. Also the comments for this review also contain spoilers.
I sort of get the feeling that the impostor is Sol. I mean, he never liked the clans and he must of died at some point. And it sort of makes sense because Sol is very smart and cunning. And also because he might have targeted Bramblestar because he knows Thunderclan the best out of all the clans, so it would have been easier to remember the other people. He also knows about Starclan because of Midnight
It might also be Darktail since he is also very smart and cunning, was confirmed to have died, and he knows who Twigbranch is while I’m pretty sure Sol does not. I don’t know if he knows about Starclan though...
I do agree it also could be Ashfur since it would explain why the impostor was staying so close to Squirrelflight and his anger towards Jayfeather and Lionblaze.
What if it’s One-eye... ok never mind. But it could be...
Maybe some Starclan cat was doing this to teach the clans a lesson... but that’s most likely not it.
I has a feeling that maybe the ghost of either Sol or Darktail maybe collaborated with the Dark Forest to pull this off. It would explain how Sol/Darktail know everybody else’s names. And maybe the impostor has spies from the dark forest following some of the cats he finds suspicious and that’s how he sometimes knows about things Bristlefrost never told him.
Thanks for reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 20, 2020
This series actually has something the reader doesn't know, and that hint of mystery makes this book so hard to put down!
December 29, 2019
Premise: Bramblestar has recovered from losing the first of his nine lives – yet the ThunderClan leader seems to have changed. He claims that StarClan is calling for the punishment of Clan cats who've broken the warrior code, and quickly starts naming names. But when a ghost claiming the be the real Bramblestar appears to the young SkyClan apprentice Rootpaw, the yellow tom soon finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy to expose the truth behind the Clan leader's personality change – which could be far more sinister than any cat could've imagined.
Story/Writing: Well, this is the latest "Warriors" book published, the second book in the "Broken Code" arc, and unfortunately the last book in the series I'll get to read for a long time after my four-month-long reading binge. And while I am disappointed that I'm gonna have to wait for the third book till April, I do not regret reading this spectacular second title 'cause it was a BLAST to read! I read this book in just over twenty-four hours and every minute of it was filled with the action, intrigue, and suspense I've now come to expect from this series yet enjoy with every title I read! The high-quality writing that the authors on the Erin Hunter team have managed to uphold in this series for almost seventeen consecutive years is VERY impressive. They have crafted what I honestly believe to be one of the finest YA series of all time, and that definitely shows in this book! The pacing and thrills and chills you get from reading this story are so good that it's just impossible to put down! And while I do wish I didn't have to wait so long for the next title, it's fun that I can now anticipate what's coming up next with absolutely no knowledge (not counting fan theories) of what's going to happen! This is a story where we figure out a lot of the information before the characters do, yet we fortunately don't get any more once the characters are caught up with us. They're just as much in the dark as we are regarding the identity and the motives of the entity that's stolen Bramblestar's body. Granted I have my own theory on who it could be, but that's further down the line from here. While we do have to read about the characters catching up on what we already know, the characters never come across as stupid or anything like that. They've never seen something like this before and neither have we the audience. If nothing else, once they finally do figure out what we know, it's such a cathartic experience after waiting so long for them to get on the same page (no pun intended) with us. And I'm seriously looking forward to discovering more along with the cats in the next title! If only I didn't have to wait three-and-a-half months!
Characters: Though the main cast of characters is made up of young cats who haven't been in the series for very long, the Erin Hunter team has always done a great job crafting characters who go through genuine character growth that I'm delighted with how far they've already come! They make mistakes but they all feel expected rather than straight-up dumb. If anything, had we been in their positions, we probably would've made the same blunders.
Shadowsight – First off, Shadowsight, you cannot go the way of your uncle Flametail! You cannot be dead! I won't allow it! Okay…now that that's over…I really got behind Shadowsight in this book! All he wants is to do the right thing yet he keeps screwing up trying to figure it out! In the beginning he finally gets his medicine cat name which he very much deserves (and is perfect for him), only to find that he and the other medicine cats still can't make contact with StarClan, in spite of the thawed-out Moonpool. He has such a big heart and is so genuine that it's kinda soul-crushing for both him and us (for his sake, anyway) when he finds out that his visions weren't from StarClan after all. Not to mention he has to try and be loyal to both his father and his Clan as well as his fellow medicine cats and the other Clans. He wants to help Tigerstar but he also knows that he can't keep this vision a secret if it means his Clanmates get hurt more and more. My heart went out particularly to his sister Pouncestep, when she cracked one of her ribs and got stung by a couple of wasps. I wanted to cry! I found his love for his mother Dovewing to be really heartwarming. It just warms my heart when grown males go to their mothers for advice. Here, he indirectly asks her if he should tell the truth about his vision of the codebreakers, and she tells him that were she in that position, she would tell the truth. You can tell how hard a choice it is for him to spill it out to the other medicine cats and especially his mentor. And then he finds out that he was just being used by whoever was giving him those visions. But of course the most shocking bit comes when he finally seems to be on the way to making things right, going to tell the other medicine cats that Bramblestar's body has been stolen. Then he gets separated from Puddleshine, Rootpaw, and Tree and someone just attacks him out of nowhere! I seriously hope he's not dead! The same thing happened to Flametail (though, that was an accident) and I don't want it to happen again!
Rootpaw – Rootpaw also comes a lot farther here, both as an apprentice and as a character! On the one hand, I wish he would just embrace his weirdness, and he kinda does toward the end to a degree. On the other hand, I get his desire to fit in and his frustration at how he's the only one who can see Bramblestar's spirit, whom even Tree can't see. He just gets put in a position he never asked for, and has to bear a burden that would be tough for any cat to bear, especially a young apprentice. The burden of proof is on his paws and he has the near thankless job of having to prove that Bramblestar's body has been stolen. Even when he does get his father's help, things aren't automatically easier for him. He gets caught sneaking into ThunderClan and has to pass Bramblestar's message on to Squirrelflight through Bristlefrost. I like how he doesn't even try to make her believe him. He knows it's crazy but he also knows it's the truth. Not to mention, his crush on her is exposed not just in ThunderClan but at a Gathering! Poor kid. Still, given all the stressful things going on at that particular Gathering, Rootpaw does display some remarkable resourcefulness in that he does manage to convince Squirrelflight that Bramblestar's body was stolen, and then decides to attend the secret meeting hosted by Stemleaf and Spotfur. And even if he still doesn't fully embrace his weirdness, I'm glad that Rootpaw got closer to his father and that he at least has Tree's support in his dilemma. Not to mention he also may have inherited his father's persuasion skills, given that he not only speaks out to Bramblestar at the later Gathering but manages to convince Tree himself to stay with the Clans, even though more and more cats are turning against them. It was also pretty cool to see him and Shadowsight become not just co-conspirators but friends. They have a lot in common and feel like brothers to an extent. I also am curious to see where his budding romance with Bristlefrost will go! Never mind that they're from different Clans, I know there's something between them!
Bristlefrost – Speaking of Bristlefrost, as I said in my previous review, it's fitting that she's our eyes and ears on what's happening in ThunderClan and particularly with Bramblestar's imposter. But at the same time, she herself goes through a pretty cool character arc as well. There are plenty of scenes where she could've come across as a stuck-up mean girl. But her initial reactions at plenty of the things happening in this story are understandable. For one thing, while I do think she and Rootpaw would be good together, I do understand her embarrassment at his initial crush on her. Like young girls crushing on older men, young boys do sometimes develop crushes on older women. I mean, yes, these are cats, but the point still stands! She also has to listen to Rootpaw's outlandish story and just thinks he's covering up his feelings for her, only to learn later on that he was right after all. Plus, even if she is misguided in her attempts to please the false Bramblestar at first, you can tell that she does love her leader (or at least her true leader) and that she does love her Clan. Despite how mistaken she was, it's hard not to feel bad for her when she does discover the truth, that she was in fact trying to please some maniacal entity. She's kinda like Ivypool in that respect, which does make sense since Ivypool is her mother. Yet it's also because she was doing her best to please Bramblestar's imposter that she has to deal with distrust from her own Clanmates, given how the fake Bramblestar pretty much told her to spy on them for him. So out of all her Clanmates being forced to live under this reign of oppression, she's arguably the most miserable since she knows now that this Bramblestar is fake and that she made him like her enough to make her one of his most trusted minions. Yet at the same time, paradoxically, it makes her arguably the strongest. Everything about her here shows that, while she is a warrior, she's still a relatively new and young one and still has much to learn. But she's also very likeable and easy to get behind, especially when she joins the cause to overthrow Bramblestar's imposter.
Bramblestar's Imposter – Speaking of Bramblestar's imposter, as the book says, who'd have thought he'd turn out to be this clever and ruthless! Just when you think our heroes are gonna get the drop on him, he turns the tables and makes Tree out to be a traitor! Speaking of which, he tackles every single advantage he has to the point where he's able to pit warriors from other Clans against their own leaders! He can accuse just about anyone and justify it. And while we may not know for sure who's behind all this, given what we know about him just from the first two books in the "Broken Code" arc, I believe that Bramblestar's imposter is most likely to be…Ashfur! Let's go over the evidence. One, most of the cats listed as codebreakers were cats Ashfur was connected to or was at least familiar with. There were Lionblaze and Jayfeather, Squirrelflight's foster children; there was also Crowfeather, the biological father of Lionblaze and Jayfeather; and of course Squirrelflight herself! Two, Bramblestar's imposter is very knowledgeable about Clan customs and knows the mindsets of most Clan cats, whatever Clan they're part of. Three, he's very affectionate toward Squirrelflight at first, until he finds out she lied to him (Again!). Four, he tried to kill Sparkpelt, since she's Bramblestar's daughter. Five, the fact that he specifically chooses to steal Bramblestar's body. Ashfur has always hated Bramblestar ever since Squirrelflight chose him. So it makes sense that he'd want to ruin Bramblestar's reputation. And as for why he's doing it only now (though I can only imagine how), in "Squirrelflight's Hope," Squirrelflight had the choice to stay in StarClan, where Ashfur was. But she chose to live with Bramblestar. She chose Bramblestar again. So Ashfur was burned by her twice and that was just too much for him. If it doesn't turn out to be him I'd be pretty surprised.
Various Other Characters – Speaking of Squirrelflight, I really felt for her and her dilemma here. She just got back together with the mate she loves so much, only to start arguing with him again. But then she discovers that this Bramblestar is not the mate she knows and loves. And while that should be a bit of a relief for her, in a way it just seems to make things tougher. Once the false Bramblestar finds out she lied to him about her atonement, she's cast out as a traitor, and her Clanmates believe it! If nothing else though, it was probably a blessing in disguise given how she's granted asylum in ShadowClan. Tigerstar and Dovewing I thought were fantastic! While I do think he was misguided about keeping his son's vision about the codebreakers a secret, you can tell that Tigerstar does seriously love his family. It was very heartwarming when he goes to find Dovewing after he learns she doesn't have to atone, mirroring his quest to find her in "Tigerheart's Shadow." It shows how much he loves her and how far he's willing to go for her. Plus, he proves that he is a competent, capable, and fair leader given how he grants Squirrelflight asylum and is willing to work with Rootpaw and Tree when they show him the truth about Bramblestar. I admired Dovewing's courage and commitment to the truth, as well as her willingness to atone, however misguided she was. Tree as well I thought was just great here. It was great to see him bond and work together with his son. Not to mention, he knows how much fitting in means to Rootpaw, so he claims that he has seen Bramblestar's spirit instead of Rootpaw, and pretends to summon the spirit when it's really his son doing the summoning. Heck, despite being at odds with the Clans and their ways, his love for his son is enough to make him stay and fight for him! I also liked Stemleaf and Spotfur and how they were willing to take the huge risk of getting cats from all Clans together for a secret meeting. How dare Bramblestar's imposter punish Spotfur, exile Lionblaze (though briefly) and Squirrelflight, and try to murder Sparkpelt! I seriously hope they all get their payback on him in some way!
Overall: It's been such a joy rediscovering this series and going on a reading binge with it for the last four months! I had an absolute blast reading each and every one of them and so glad that the Erin Hunter writers have given us this gift of a series! It is kinda of a bummer that I'm now gonna have to wait for the rest, but hopefully it'll be worth it! This book was such a thrill to read and I can't wait to find out who Bramblestar's imposter is, as well as how our heroes take him down!
Story/Writing: Well, this is the latest "Warriors" book published, the second book in the "Broken Code" arc, and unfortunately the last book in the series I'll get to read for a long time after my four-month-long reading binge. And while I am disappointed that I'm gonna have to wait for the third book till April, I do not regret reading this spectacular second title 'cause it was a BLAST to read! I read this book in just over twenty-four hours and every minute of it was filled with the action, intrigue, and suspense I've now come to expect from this series yet enjoy with every title I read! The high-quality writing that the authors on the Erin Hunter team have managed to uphold in this series for almost seventeen consecutive years is VERY impressive. They have crafted what I honestly believe to be one of the finest YA series of all time, and that definitely shows in this book! The pacing and thrills and chills you get from reading this story are so good that it's just impossible to put down! And while I do wish I didn't have to wait so long for the next title, it's fun that I can now anticipate what's coming up next with absolutely no knowledge (not counting fan theories) of what's going to happen! This is a story where we figure out a lot of the information before the characters do, yet we fortunately don't get any more once the characters are caught up with us. They're just as much in the dark as we are regarding the identity and the motives of the entity that's stolen Bramblestar's body. Granted I have my own theory on who it could be, but that's further down the line from here. While we do have to read about the characters catching up on what we already know, the characters never come across as stupid or anything like that. They've never seen something like this before and neither have we the audience. If nothing else, once they finally do figure out what we know, it's such a cathartic experience after waiting so long for them to get on the same page (no pun intended) with us. And I'm seriously looking forward to discovering more along with the cats in the next title! If only I didn't have to wait three-and-a-half months!
Characters: Though the main cast of characters is made up of young cats who haven't been in the series for very long, the Erin Hunter team has always done a great job crafting characters who go through genuine character growth that I'm delighted with how far they've already come! They make mistakes but they all feel expected rather than straight-up dumb. If anything, had we been in their positions, we probably would've made the same blunders.
Shadowsight – First off, Shadowsight, you cannot go the way of your uncle Flametail! You cannot be dead! I won't allow it! Okay…now that that's over…I really got behind Shadowsight in this book! All he wants is to do the right thing yet he keeps screwing up trying to figure it out! In the beginning he finally gets his medicine cat name which he very much deserves (and is perfect for him), only to find that he and the other medicine cats still can't make contact with StarClan, in spite of the thawed-out Moonpool. He has such a big heart and is so genuine that it's kinda soul-crushing for both him and us (for his sake, anyway) when he finds out that his visions weren't from StarClan after all. Not to mention he has to try and be loyal to both his father and his Clan as well as his fellow medicine cats and the other Clans. He wants to help Tigerstar but he also knows that he can't keep this vision a secret if it means his Clanmates get hurt more and more. My heart went out particularly to his sister Pouncestep, when she cracked one of her ribs and got stung by a couple of wasps. I wanted to cry! I found his love for his mother Dovewing to be really heartwarming. It just warms my heart when grown males go to their mothers for advice. Here, he indirectly asks her if he should tell the truth about his vision of the codebreakers, and she tells him that were she in that position, she would tell the truth. You can tell how hard a choice it is for him to spill it out to the other medicine cats and especially his mentor. And then he finds out that he was just being used by whoever was giving him those visions. But of course the most shocking bit comes when he finally seems to be on the way to making things right, going to tell the other medicine cats that Bramblestar's body has been stolen. Then he gets separated from Puddleshine, Rootpaw, and Tree and someone just attacks him out of nowhere! I seriously hope he's not dead! The same thing happened to Flametail (though, that was an accident) and I don't want it to happen again!
Rootpaw – Rootpaw also comes a lot farther here, both as an apprentice and as a character! On the one hand, I wish he would just embrace his weirdness, and he kinda does toward the end to a degree. On the other hand, I get his desire to fit in and his frustration at how he's the only one who can see Bramblestar's spirit, whom even Tree can't see. He just gets put in a position he never asked for, and has to bear a burden that would be tough for any cat to bear, especially a young apprentice. The burden of proof is on his paws and he has the near thankless job of having to prove that Bramblestar's body has been stolen. Even when he does get his father's help, things aren't automatically easier for him. He gets caught sneaking into ThunderClan and has to pass Bramblestar's message on to Squirrelflight through Bristlefrost. I like how he doesn't even try to make her believe him. He knows it's crazy but he also knows it's the truth. Not to mention, his crush on her is exposed not just in ThunderClan but at a Gathering! Poor kid. Still, given all the stressful things going on at that particular Gathering, Rootpaw does display some remarkable resourcefulness in that he does manage to convince Squirrelflight that Bramblestar's body was stolen, and then decides to attend the secret meeting hosted by Stemleaf and Spotfur. And even if he still doesn't fully embrace his weirdness, I'm glad that Rootpaw got closer to his father and that he at least has Tree's support in his dilemma. Not to mention he also may have inherited his father's persuasion skills, given that he not only speaks out to Bramblestar at the later Gathering but manages to convince Tree himself to stay with the Clans, even though more and more cats are turning against them. It was also pretty cool to see him and Shadowsight become not just co-conspirators but friends. They have a lot in common and feel like brothers to an extent. I also am curious to see where his budding romance with Bristlefrost will go! Never mind that they're from different Clans, I know there's something between them!
Bristlefrost – Speaking of Bristlefrost, as I said in my previous review, it's fitting that she's our eyes and ears on what's happening in ThunderClan and particularly with Bramblestar's imposter. But at the same time, she herself goes through a pretty cool character arc as well. There are plenty of scenes where she could've come across as a stuck-up mean girl. But her initial reactions at plenty of the things happening in this story are understandable. For one thing, while I do think she and Rootpaw would be good together, I do understand her embarrassment at his initial crush on her. Like young girls crushing on older men, young boys do sometimes develop crushes on older women. I mean, yes, these are cats, but the point still stands! She also has to listen to Rootpaw's outlandish story and just thinks he's covering up his feelings for her, only to learn later on that he was right after all. Plus, even if she is misguided in her attempts to please the false Bramblestar at first, you can tell that she does love her leader (or at least her true leader) and that she does love her Clan. Despite how mistaken she was, it's hard not to feel bad for her when she does discover the truth, that she was in fact trying to please some maniacal entity. She's kinda like Ivypool in that respect, which does make sense since Ivypool is her mother. Yet it's also because she was doing her best to please Bramblestar's imposter that she has to deal with distrust from her own Clanmates, given how the fake Bramblestar pretty much told her to spy on them for him. So out of all her Clanmates being forced to live under this reign of oppression, she's arguably the most miserable since she knows now that this Bramblestar is fake and that she made him like her enough to make her one of his most trusted minions. Yet at the same time, paradoxically, it makes her arguably the strongest. Everything about her here shows that, while she is a warrior, she's still a relatively new and young one and still has much to learn. But she's also very likeable and easy to get behind, especially when she joins the cause to overthrow Bramblestar's imposter.
Bramblestar's Imposter – Speaking of Bramblestar's imposter, as the book says, who'd have thought he'd turn out to be this clever and ruthless! Just when you think our heroes are gonna get the drop on him, he turns the tables and makes Tree out to be a traitor! Speaking of which, he tackles every single advantage he has to the point where he's able to pit warriors from other Clans against their own leaders! He can accuse just about anyone and justify it. And while we may not know for sure who's behind all this, given what we know about him just from the first two books in the "Broken Code" arc, I believe that Bramblestar's imposter is most likely to be…Ashfur! Let's go over the evidence. One, most of the cats listed as codebreakers were cats Ashfur was connected to or was at least familiar with. There were Lionblaze and Jayfeather, Squirrelflight's foster children; there was also Crowfeather, the biological father of Lionblaze and Jayfeather; and of course Squirrelflight herself! Two, Bramblestar's imposter is very knowledgeable about Clan customs and knows the mindsets of most Clan cats, whatever Clan they're part of. Three, he's very affectionate toward Squirrelflight at first, until he finds out she lied to him (Again!). Four, he tried to kill Sparkpelt, since she's Bramblestar's daughter. Five, the fact that he specifically chooses to steal Bramblestar's body. Ashfur has always hated Bramblestar ever since Squirrelflight chose him. So it makes sense that he'd want to ruin Bramblestar's reputation. And as for why he's doing it only now (though I can only imagine how), in "Squirrelflight's Hope," Squirrelflight had the choice to stay in StarClan, where Ashfur was. But she chose to live with Bramblestar. She chose Bramblestar again. So Ashfur was burned by her twice and that was just too much for him. If it doesn't turn out to be him I'd be pretty surprised.
Various Other Characters – Speaking of Squirrelflight, I really felt for her and her dilemma here. She just got back together with the mate she loves so much, only to start arguing with him again. But then she discovers that this Bramblestar is not the mate she knows and loves. And while that should be a bit of a relief for her, in a way it just seems to make things tougher. Once the false Bramblestar finds out she lied to him about her atonement, she's cast out as a traitor, and her Clanmates believe it! If nothing else though, it was probably a blessing in disguise given how she's granted asylum in ShadowClan. Tigerstar and Dovewing I thought were fantastic! While I do think he was misguided about keeping his son's vision about the codebreakers a secret, you can tell that Tigerstar does seriously love his family. It was very heartwarming when he goes to find Dovewing after he learns she doesn't have to atone, mirroring his quest to find her in "Tigerheart's Shadow." It shows how much he loves her and how far he's willing to go for her. Plus, he proves that he is a competent, capable, and fair leader given how he grants Squirrelflight asylum and is willing to work with Rootpaw and Tree when they show him the truth about Bramblestar. I admired Dovewing's courage and commitment to the truth, as well as her willingness to atone, however misguided she was. Tree as well I thought was just great here. It was great to see him bond and work together with his son. Not to mention, he knows how much fitting in means to Rootpaw, so he claims that he has seen Bramblestar's spirit instead of Rootpaw, and pretends to summon the spirit when it's really his son doing the summoning. Heck, despite being at odds with the Clans and their ways, his love for his son is enough to make him stay and fight for him! I also liked Stemleaf and Spotfur and how they were willing to take the huge risk of getting cats from all Clans together for a secret meeting. How dare Bramblestar's imposter punish Spotfur, exile Lionblaze (though briefly) and Squirrelflight, and try to murder Sparkpelt! I seriously hope they all get their payback on him in some way!
Overall: It's been such a joy rediscovering this series and going on a reading binge with it for the last four months! I had an absolute blast reading each and every one of them and so glad that the Erin Hunter writers have given us this gift of a series! It is kinda of a bummer that I'm now gonna have to wait for the rest, but hopefully it'll be worth it! This book was such a thrill to read and I can't wait to find out who Bramblestar's imposter is, as well as how our heroes take him down!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2020
The three point of views are what is seriously getting me going. I don’t know about you guys, but the overall plot is kinda good, with the mystery 🧐 bit! I sincerely enjoyed Bristlefrost getting over her crush! That was so mature of her!
The other two cats, Rootpaw and Shadowsight are way more innocent and have sweeter thoughts about others. I love that in this book, Bristlefrost and Rootpaw’s connection becomes slightly less awkward and Rootpaw’s growing connection with Tree starts improving! He is now having an understanding of what it’s like to be his father and gradually trusting him!! It’s such a new perspective!
But I do wonder... who is the bad spirit?? I have a feeling that it was Ashfur. I mean, he used to live in Thunderclan, had a crush on Squirrelflight, and was really evil. He also went to “STARCLAN” which means he could have had the power to shut everyone down and stop them from communicating with the living cats... it’s just a thought 😉
What do you think? 💭🤔 Can’t wait for the next one!! 😁 also the ending of this was so eerie! Like who attacked Shadowsight?? A pretty sick cat to attack a medicine cat 😬 but then again, a lot of cats do that anyway 😂😏
The other two cats, Rootpaw and Shadowsight are way more innocent and have sweeter thoughts about others. I love that in this book, Bristlefrost and Rootpaw’s connection becomes slightly less awkward and Rootpaw’s growing connection with Tree starts improving! He is now having an understanding of what it’s like to be his father and gradually trusting him!! It’s such a new perspective!
But I do wonder... who is the bad spirit?? I have a feeling that it was Ashfur. I mean, he used to live in Thunderclan, had a crush on Squirrelflight, and was really evil. He also went to “STARCLAN” which means he could have had the power to shut everyone down and stop them from communicating with the living cats... it’s just a thought 😉
What do you think? 💭🤔 Can’t wait for the next one!! 😁 also the ending of this was so eerie! Like who attacked Shadowsight?? A pretty sick cat to attack a medicine cat 😬 but then again, a lot of cats do that anyway 😂😏
November 12, 2019
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I finished the book! Most people are happy to have finished a book, but not this girl. Now I have to wait until next year for the 3rd book called "The Veil of Shadows." The book left me with a cliffhanger. I loved the book but I wish Jayfeather was in the book more. I don't know why but he is my favorite character. It is not because he is blind, he would claw my ears off for sure, if you know what I mean :D
April 28, 2021
This book was so good. Its were the action really started to happen. I am close to figuring out who is in Bramblestars body. Lionblaze is pretty ridicolus in this book i find it funny. Cant wait to start reading the next one!
October 29, 2019
SUSPENSE
I'm still addicted to the series. So much stuff going on in this one. Just purely awesome, my man. NOICE!
I'm still addicted to the series. So much stuff going on in this one. Just purely awesome, my man. NOICE!
January 12, 2024
After the lackluster last series, I thought I was done with Warriors for good (except rereading the original series, of course) but I have been really pleasantly surprised with just how much The Broken Code is pulling me back in! This new series is really leaning into some of the more supernatural elements that they have introduced such as Tree's ability to see ghosts and Shadowpaw's mysterious visions. Bristlefrost, Rootpaw, and Shadowpaw are all much stronger narrators than Twigpaw and Violetpaw were and I really like that Bristlefrost especially was a well-established character when we met her. I am very curious to see how these three confront the supernatural forces that threaten their home (and seriously WHAT is going on with Bramblestar???). After the intense ending to this book, I can't wait to start the next one!
October 12, 2020
Honestly this book was just a bit of a disappointment. I had high hopes since I love this series but I think it’s just dragging on now. The characters aren’t as interesting or likeable and whilst the plot in this case is actually really good it all seems kind of Deja vu with the dark forest and whisky it’s slightly different it’s not completely unique.
I did enjoy this and he new characters are nice and allbut I miss the originals and I’m not enjoying these books as much. But it’s still a comfort read and you can’t go wrong with warriors.
I did enjoy this and he new characters are nice and allbut I miss the originals and I’m not enjoying these books as much. But it’s still a comfort read and you can’t go wrong with warriors.
July 17, 2022
The imposter
March 27, 2021
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"But he knew now, with a sureness that filled him with horror, that the voice had never been the voice of StarClan."
I have been reading these books since I first wanted to read anything. I remember reading the first series when I was still in grade school, and I still read them now. There’s just something about Warrior Cats and the world Hunter has built that no other children’s series quite manages for me. I think it’s evident in the massive fanbase the series has that there’s something special here.
This arc is progressing much better than the previous arc did, but there are still some issues with it. Six books is a long time to draw out any plot and it is really noticeably being drawn out. We hit the same plot beats of “Bramblestar is an impostor!” “What do we do?” over and over again. The whole middle chunk of the book feels like nothing is moving forward and we’re just stuck with these cats living in an unpleasant life.
The base of the story is still really compelling though. I think it’ll draw in middle grade readers. There’s a lot at stake, plenty of mystery, and quite a few scenes that leave you feeling terrible for the cats you know are doing their best. I also loved that this book didn’t focus heavily on any romantic subplots. It was a nice breather.
I still do wish the cats had more personality, especially the secondary characters. I feel like the cast has gotten too wide. Bristlefrost, Shadowsight and Rootpaw all have their own clans. As such each clan only gets a third of the book to really carve out who they are. Even the characters who are friends of the protagonist don’t really have time to grow and develop like the characters in the first few arcs had. It leaves the world feeling full of bland cats who are just either “good” or “bad”.
I love the world of Warrior Cats. It’s unique, the characters are all cats which is fun, and it gives young readers something more mature to read. These books are like A Song of Ice and Fire for middle graders. There’s death, betrayal, love and all sorts of themes that books featuring human protagonists simply don’t get to explore.
I don’t think this arc is as strong as the first but I still wholeheartedly recommend it to middle grade readers. It’s interesting and exciting. It’s a book that starts a lot of children on the path to become lifelong readers and sometimes even writers or artists. I hope this plot picks up speed, but I still enjoyed the story.
"But he knew now, with a sureness that filled him with horror, that the voice had never been the voice of StarClan."
I have been reading these books since I first wanted to read anything. I remember reading the first series when I was still in grade school, and I still read them now. There’s just something about Warrior Cats and the world Hunter has built that no other children’s series quite manages for me. I think it’s evident in the massive fanbase the series has that there’s something special here.
This arc is progressing much better than the previous arc did, but there are still some issues with it. Six books is a long time to draw out any plot and it is really noticeably being drawn out. We hit the same plot beats of “Bramblestar is an impostor!” “What do we do?” over and over again. The whole middle chunk of the book feels like nothing is moving forward and we’re just stuck with these cats living in an unpleasant life.
The base of the story is still really compelling though. I think it’ll draw in middle grade readers. There’s a lot at stake, plenty of mystery, and quite a few scenes that leave you feeling terrible for the cats you know are doing their best. I also loved that this book didn’t focus heavily on any romantic subplots. It was a nice breather.
I still do wish the cats had more personality, especially the secondary characters. I feel like the cast has gotten too wide. Bristlefrost, Shadowsight and Rootpaw all have their own clans. As such each clan only gets a third of the book to really carve out who they are. Even the characters who are friends of the protagonist don’t really have time to grow and develop like the characters in the first few arcs had. It leaves the world feeling full of bland cats who are just either “good” or “bad”.
I love the world of Warrior Cats. It’s unique, the characters are all cats which is fun, and it gives young readers something more mature to read. These books are like A Song of Ice and Fire for middle graders. There’s death, betrayal, love and all sorts of themes that books featuring human protagonists simply don’t get to explore.
I don’t think this arc is as strong as the first but I still wholeheartedly recommend it to middle grade readers. It’s interesting and exciting. It’s a book that starts a lot of children on the path to become lifelong readers and sometimes even writers or artists. I hope this plot picks up speed, but I still enjoyed the story.
March 20, 2020
What...
I have been a Warriors fan for quite a long time and have noticed that the quality has been taking a nosedive since arc 2. I give this two stars only because it is SLIGHTLY better than some of the books before it. I plan to finish this arc and be done with Warriors. Here are my reasons why:
The plots. They USED to be good. Now, it’s the same thing OVER AND OVER AND OVER. It’s always the same. Hero! Prophecy! Villain! Danger! Battle! Villain dies! The end. EVERY TIME. The supernatural sub themes in arcs one and two were fine, but now they are completely dominating the books!
The names. Just, why? Twigbranch? Sneezecloud? Stemleaf? The list goes on.
The characters. Nobody has ANY character development anymore, everybody’s either a bully or an idiot, and it took Rootpaw like HALF THE BOOK to think, “Hey, I’m seeing a ghost, and it’s been proven as a fact my father also has this power, maybe he can help!” REALLY. 70% of the time, Bristlefrost is having a crisis about her loyalty, and the other 30% percent it’s other cat’s loyalty.
The books themselves. Firestar died like 14 books ago, so why continue the series? He was basically the main point of the entire series.
All in all, if you want to read a 334 page rant about how all the codebreakers deserve to die, this book is for you.
Sincerely,
Moonmark of Rainclan
I have been a Warriors fan for quite a long time and have noticed that the quality has been taking a nosedive since arc 2. I give this two stars only because it is SLIGHTLY better than some of the books before it. I plan to finish this arc and be done with Warriors. Here are my reasons why:
The plots. They USED to be good. Now, it’s the same thing OVER AND OVER AND OVER. It’s always the same. Hero! Prophecy! Villain! Danger! Battle! Villain dies! The end. EVERY TIME. The supernatural sub themes in arcs one and two were fine, but now they are completely dominating the books!
The names. Just, why? Twigbranch? Sneezecloud? Stemleaf? The list goes on.
The characters. Nobody has ANY character development anymore, everybody’s either a bully or an idiot, and it took Rootpaw like HALF THE BOOK to think, “Hey, I’m seeing a ghost, and it’s been proven as a fact my father also has this power, maybe he can help!” REALLY. 70% of the time, Bristlefrost is having a crisis about her loyalty, and the other 30% percent it’s other cat’s loyalty.
The books themselves. Firestar died like 14 books ago, so why continue the series? He was basically the main point of the entire series.
All in all, if you want to read a 334 page rant about how all the codebreakers deserve to die, this book is for you.
Sincerely,
Moonmark of Rainclan
October 26, 2023
November 2019 AAaaggggH! I want to know who's possessing Bramblestar! My only current theory is Ashfur, because he's so concerned about Squirrelflight, but I just don't know if that adds up. Ashfur looked fine in Squirrelflight's Hope. -sigh- I suppose I'll just have to wait to figure it out.
Clearly, this book did not disappoint. The only sad thing is that I have to wait for the next book.
That and how astoundingly stupid Bristlefrost was in the beginning, although I guess I can't really blame her.
Seriously though, I'm intrigued.
Clearly, this book did not disappoint. The only sad thing is that I have to wait for the next book.
That and how astoundingly stupid Bristlefrost was in the beginning, although I guess I can't really blame her.
Seriously though, I'm intrigued.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 13, 2021
I think this is one of the most exciting series of the Warriors! Like, who is the imposter? Who attacked Shadowsight and the medicine cats in the end?!
(I have a suspicion that it’s Ashfur. Idk why but I do. It makes sense, how the imposter likes Squirrelflight. The only cats to love Squirrelflight were Ashfur and Bramblestar.)
Can’t wait for the next one!!!
(I have a suspicion that it’s Ashfur. Idk why but I do. It makes sense, how the imposter likes Squirrelflight. The only cats to love Squirrelflight were Ashfur and Bramblestar.)
Can’t wait for the next one!!!
September 1, 2024
The fake Bramblestar is so annoying, but so is the real Bramblestar. I miss Firestar!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2024
interesting vibes
June 2, 2024
read while on a plane so that was fun! a good second book that gives us reason for the root chapters that ive turned out to actually kind of enjoy (mostly because of tree) and more detail on the current situation with bramblestar which im really enjoying so far. i do feel like this would've been more effective if bramblestar was actually.. a good leader to begin with.. but other than that i really like the premise of him being someone else (even if im already spoilt on who that someone else is lolol)
what brings this down in comparison to the first book is that i feel like this is a lot of setup for the next book, rather than having anything of substance in itself. a lot of talking, a lot of planning, and a lot of bramble doing evil things so everyone gets to figure out he's evil.. but not a whole lot of action outside of that. have some cat attack him at a gathering or something, let bramble kill a guy!
what brings this down in comparison to the first book is that i feel like this is a lot of setup for the next book, rather than having anything of substance in itself. a lot of talking, a lot of planning, and a lot of bramble doing evil things so everyone gets to figure out he's evil.. but not a whole lot of action outside of that. have some cat attack him at a gathering or something, let bramble kill a guy!
April 21, 2020
I'm gonna say--this is easily one of the best recent additions of the series (not counting the super editions--those ones TEND to feature older characters, the ones that I still have nostalgia for, and also, Crowfeather’s Trial was really good). The first book in this series was meh, this one I actually really, really enjoyed. The plot is getting interesting and I'm really digging where the characters are going. I'm actually excited to get to book three.
May 30, 2022
This cover is SO funny. I love how the cat is just glaring like that, it makes me laugh. Anyways, I like how shadowsight seems to be getting more of a personality and not just forced medicine cat chapters. Bristlefrost, is confusing? She will betray people then not betray them then deny her crush? I really don’t like the crush it’s too early. And is Rootpaw going to really be an apprentice for this long?!? If he is… could he become a mediator, like Tree, and go to Thunderclan so he can be with Bristlefrost? Because that would be the best possible thing, since he doesn’t have anything in Skyclan that would truly keep him there. Anyways, I liked this one a lot! Especially the cover!
June 12, 2021
All I’d like to say is that I was surprised when Bramblestar attacked Squirrelflight in such a way. My heart was pounding when I read that scene! Like OMG! That only made me know that something was wrong with Bramblestar, even though I knew something was up during the gathering in his return from losing a life after that. Can’t wait to find out what it is!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2021
This series seems more? Dark than the previous warrior cats books? Like? Why is the cat demon possessed? But also 10/10
March 21, 2022
Gods this series just makes me tired and angry at the same time.
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